Author: chicagoinquirer

by Chinedu Asadu ABUJA, Nigeria — The United States airstrikes that targeted Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria’s on Thursday marked a major escalation in an offensive that Nigeria’s overstretched military has struggled with for years. U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that the “powerful and deadly” strikes in Sokoto state were carried out against Islamic State militants “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.” Residents and security analysts have said Nigeria’s security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north. Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups, said…

by Will Weissert WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. launched a “powerful and deadly” strike against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African country’s government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians. In a Christmas evening post on his social media site, Trump did not provide details or mention the extent of the damage caused by the strikes. A Defense Department official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss details not made public, said the U.S. worked with Nigeria to carry out the strikes, and that…

by Mark Sherman WASHINGTON  — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area to support its immigration crackdown, a significant defeat for the president’s efforts to send troops to U.S. cities. The justices declined the Republican administration’s emergency request to overturn a ruling by U.S. District Judge April Perry that had blocked the deployment of troops. An appeals court also had refused to step in. The Supreme Court took more than two months to act. Three justices — Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch — publicly dissented.…

by Hillel Italie NEW YORK =— A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a holiday tradition dating back more than 20 years, has been canceled. The show’s host, musician Chuck Redd, says that he called off the performance in the wake of the White House announcing last week that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility. As of last Friday, the building’s facade reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. According to the White House, the president’s handpicked board approved the decision, which scholars have…

by Olivia Diaz A Powerball ticket purchased outside Little Rock, Arkansas, won a $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner. The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. The winning ticket was sold in Cabot, lottery officials in Arkansas said Thursday. The community of roughly 27,000 people is 26 miles (42 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previous expected, making it the second-largest in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according…

by Gene Chamberlain LAKE FOREST, Ill.  — The partnership between Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams was questioned frequently at the start of training camp, if not earlier. Coach and quarterback alike are now heralding their relationship as a tremendous success after the team clinched a playoff berth, even though the Bears have struggled at times in the passing game. “Every single day, we’re spending one-on-one time, quality time together, to where we can be very transparent with each other,” Johnson said. “And I think what I’ve grown to love about him — and I hope he…

by Josh Dubow SANTA CLARA, Calif.  — San Francisco Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle missed practice with an ankle injury on Wednesday, leaving his status for this weekend’s big game against the Chicago Bears in question. Kittle hurt his ankle during Monday night’s 48-27 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle still has “a chance” to play on Sunday night against the Bears depending on how quickly he heals this week. San Francisco (11-4) has clinched a playoff spot and can earn the top seed in the NFC by beating the Bears (11-4) and Seattle (12-3)…

ALGIERS, Algeria  — Legislators in Algeria voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime, approving a law that calls for restitution of property taken by France during its 130-year rule, among other demands seeking to redress historical wrongs. France slammed the law as a “hostile act” threatening bilateral efforts to heal wounds of the past. The two countries retain close cultural and economic ties but have troubled diplomatic relations. In a solemn ceremony steeped in symbolism, 340 of 407 members of Algeria’s National Assembly voted late Wednesday to approve the law. The move came just a…

by Silvia Stellaci and Colleen Barry VATICAN CITY  — Pope Leo XIV during his first Christmas Day message on Thursday urged the faithful to shed indifference in the face of those who have lost everything, such as in Gaza, those who are impoverished, such as in Yemen, and the many migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea and the American continent for a better future. The first U.S. pontiff addressed some 26,000 people from the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square for the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi’’ address, Latin for “To the City and to the World,’’ which serves as a…

by Andrew Seligman CHICAGO  — The Chicago Bears appeared as though they were headed to yet another loss to the Green Bay Packers trailing by 10 points in the closing minutes. Then again, these aren’t the same old Bears. A 22-16 overtime victory on Saturday night was just the latest reminder. “When it’s this late in games, just, they don’t bat an eye,” coach Ben Johnson said. “You don’t feel any despair on the sideline from any of the phases. You might feel it in the stadium a little bit. I could feel the fans kind of coming to life…